88 THE FLOKAL WOKLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



man, "There must surely be some easier method of removing full-sized bushes, or it 

 would never be practised." ''Yes," -was the response, "there is work there to have 

 taken up an oak." We tackled tiie next as follows, ily man cut down to the 

 depth ot his spade, a new No. 2, in that circle of two feet radius from the stem I had 

 marked out; and then, without making a trench, putting down the spade again, he 

 dug towards the stem, so that while taking up a spadeful of earth he loosened and 

 raised the roots for some distance inwards. As, however, those towards the centre 

 of the ball still remained undisturbed, something more was necessary, and I there- 

 tore directed him to dig a hole in the form of a V, with the open end towards the 

 circle of roots, in order to make room for the handle of the spade to be lowered 

 sufficiently to get the blade under tlie ball, which served the purpose intended ; and 

 a similar cut being made at the opposite side, the job vv-as accomplished. In this 

 manner we got through the lot. But the time taken up by eighteen or twenty trees, 

 near about tliat size (I am afraid to mention it), was such as to force the reflection 

 upon me, " Xurserymen must surely have soma cleverer modii of taking up good-sized 

 .iruit-trees without injury to the roots, or they could never live by the business." 



The next season, the genius of my man hit upon an improvement upon the last- 

 ■meutioued mode. After I had marked out the circle within wliich the roots were 

 to be preserved, and he had cut down through it all round, he dug a trench just 

 inside that circle, putting his spade down among the roots in the line that they 

 came from the stem. This loosened them so far inward, that ha was afterwards 

 able to shove his spade under theio, holding the handle about the level of his knee; 

 •and by doing this in three or four different places, while I helped him by pulling a 

 little at the opposite side of the stem, we found that v/e could get up the trees with 

 tolerable ease and expedition. The roots, too, came up almost always uninjured 

 (I should state the trees had been often biennially removed), as the spade was put 

 down in the line of their growth. Should it happen that they were so thick, or 

 twisted, as to make this be otherwise, a fork could be safely used in the same 

 manner. It thus occurred to me that this Avas what was probably meant by Mr. 

 Rivers's directions, when he says, "A trench should be dug round the tree, about 

 eighteen inches from its stem ;" and that it is the outside of his trench, and not the 

 inside, that is to be at that distance. 



With balls or circles of roots of only eighteen-inch radius from the stem, instead 

 -of two feet, which is the largest that Mr. Rivers speaks of removing, or root-pruning, 

 with the exception of those of the plums, it was much the same way. Let digging 

 -a trench of a spade's- width completely oixtside of a circle of roots of this diameter — 

 'svhich is upwards of a yard, taking the stem into account — be tried, and it will be 

 found that a spade cannot be lowered sufficiently across the trench to be pushed 

 beneath the roots, so as to get them up, even operating from both sides ; one must dig 

 among the roots besides ; which, as my experience appears to tell, it is better to do at 

 iirst, by making the trench there. In fact, it appears, that unless it be a large tree 

 Avhich it is necessary to uniermine, working from a space that a man can stand in, 

 a trench completely outside the circle of roots is a hindrance rather than otherwise, 

 because it takes away a support that the back of the spisde would rest upon Avhile 

 it was being forced inwards beneath the ends of the already loosened roots. 



Some people may laugh at all this, and think me either ignorant or stupid; but 

 as several others find the same difficulties in their way, our ignoiarice is to be taken 

 into account. One friend of mine, who employs a more rejiular gardener, who 

 transpLmts his bush-apples and pears for him in a more expeditious and slashing 

 style, finds the roots shortened and injured so Djuch, that the trees take more than 

 a whole season to recover. And another prefers letting them canker on a cold clay 

 soil, and take their chance, in order to avoid the trouble and time taken up iu 

 i-emovfng them. A. B. 



JS'arberth. 



HORTICULTURAL AFFAIRS. 



Exhibitions Axnoixced. — Hoyal Horticultural Society, Spring Shows, 

 Jlarcb lyth and April 16th ; Great Show, June 4th to 8th ; Eose Show, July 2nd ; 

 Exhibition at Bury in connection with the Royal Agricultural Society, July 15th 

 to 19th. JRoyal Botanic Society, Spring Shows, Saturdays, March 23rd, April 13th, 

 and April 27th ; General Exhibitions, Wednesdays, May 29th, June 19th, July 



